Stargate Phoenix: Phoenix Rising

by keiranfletcher

Col. Carter, now in command of the Phoenix, must unite a galaxy on the brink of civil war against a new threat, using knowledge from Jolinar's past to help build an alliance from the feuding and apathetic factions. AU.

Stargate Phoenix

AU. In this universe, there has been no Ori invasion. SG-1 disbanded one year following the events of Season 8. Teal'c joined Bra'tac in attempting to set up a Free Jaffa government. Dr. Jackson became a roving negotiator among the galaxy's various factions. General O'Niell retired. Col. Carter was given command of the Phoenix, an improved Daedalus-class carrier, for a year-long mission sweeping the Milky Way and its surrounding globular clusters for possible threats. And they found them. A race known as the Cloners, who infiltrate and occupy worlds by making brainwashed copies of the finest specimens of the species they encounter to use against them. With the Asgard in decline and no longer able to care for the worlds they once protected, the Jaffa restless and unsure of how to function without the support of goods made by human slave labour, and the Tok'ra and Tauri turning inward, the galaxy is ripe for the plucking by the first serious force to come along. After a further year of negotiations, the remaining powers are finally willing to do something about it.

The following is more of a series of concept sketches for a new series than a complete story arc. The idea is that there would be a second strand, chronicling Jolinar's life and fight against the Goa'uld prior to joining the Tok'ra (there is just enough evidence in the series to speculate that a) not all the Tok'ra were descended from Egeria and b) that Jolinar was once a System Lord, or at least in a position of some power). I have yet to write most of this strand, though I know how would play out. I also have yet to write the intervening back-story of Carter's first voyage in command of the Phoenix.

Note: new material now moved to the beginning, where it makes more sense.

USAF Phoenix in Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy- One Year Ago

"Colonel? Colonel, wake up."

"Sergeant? Wha- What time is it?"

"0900."

"Why did you let me sleep so long? I'm two hours late."

"Major Cooper has it under control, Colonel. We won't be arriving for another hour and a half."

"What time was it when you kicked me out of the lab?"

"0300, Colonel."

"Oh. I'm sorry. You don't have to stay up, you know."

"If I don't, you do."

"Then kick me out earlier."

"You always say 'just five more minutes.'"

"I do, don't I. What's on today?"

"Combined battle drill and damage control exercise, potential intergalactic first contact and maintenance evolution on air recycling systems and thruster controls."

"I need-"

"Double espresso." Timoshenko held out a cup.

"Bless you."

"Pazhalsta. Also, here is fruit. Eat."

"That's alright, I'm not hungry."

Timoshenko crossed his arms in the doorway. "You will be when you eat."

Carter sighed and complied. The Phoenix carried twenty-seven exchange officers (and NCO's) from various countries, including a British SAS SG team, a Canadian pilot, and various lower-ranking personnel from Europe, South Korea, Australia and Japan. Roman Timoshenko was one of two Ukrainians in the mix, and was by far the best aide Carter had ever had.

"Wow, I am hungry."

Timoshenko took an oatmeal bar out of his pocket and handed it over.

"Exiting hyperspace," Major Cooper reported.

"Full scan. Let's see where we are."

"Sensors clear of any vessels. The primary is a fairly large red dwarf, with five planets. The homing signal the Tok'ra picked up originates from the second planet. There appears to be an oxygen atmosphere, albeit very thin. I'd say we're looking at a Mars-type world supporting a sparse biosphere."

"That's interesting," Carter remarked. "Red dwarfs aren't supposed to create favourable conditions for life. The plant life must have found a way to photosynthesize using infrared radiation."

"Fascinating," Colonel Argyll said dryly, exchanging a look with Colonel Teldy. The two SG team leaders tried to be patient with their fearless leader's reversions to science geek. "About this signal?"

"It's rising from the planet. The source of the signal is a ship," Cooper reported.

"Take us toward it, nice and slow. Broadcast standard greeting and friendship messages."

"On course and transmitting."

"Colonel, take a look at this. The ship's mass and energy outputs are in a constant state of flux."

Carter examined the readout. "Matter-energy conversion. The ship is literally building and unbuilding itself at will."

"What does that mean?" Teldy asked.

"It means that we'd better hope they're friendly, because we have no way to defend ourselves against this level of technology. Any response to our hailing messages?"

"None. They're continuing to approach us."

"Put me on.

"This is Colonel Carter of the Earth ship Phoenix. We picked up your signal, and request communications."

"Now receiving a signal. Very densely encoded bursts, no discernible audio or video."

At that moment, Captain Callaghan noticed something odd with his controls. "Colonel, flight system malfunction. We're being hacked."

"Isolate affected memory and engage backups. Cooper, raise shields and jam their signal."

The ship shook violently. "They're firing particle weapons," Cooper remarked.

Damn. "Callaghan, get us out of here."

"No good, hyperdrive is offline."

"Then run right at them. Cooper, time on target, all forward weapons, and ready tactical nukes."

"Is that necessary?" Argyll asked.

"We're going to lose shields in fifty seconds, Colonel, and those are the only weapons we have that might slow them down. Fire in sequence when ready, save the Mark IX for last."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Carter to engine room. Stand by to beam SG-3, SG-7, Major Cooper, a squad of Marines and the full set of backup control crystals to the cargo ship, and then beam the whole ship down to the night side of the third planet's moon. Don't worry about overloading the system."

"Acknowledged."

"Colonel-" Teldy began.

"This ship is about to be taken and there is nothing we can do about it except leave someone behind. Cloak the ship, rescue us if you can, but your primary mission is to report back home."

"You should come with us."

"And miss the chance to see their technology up close? I'll give you an opening if I can."

"Colonel Carter," Cooper reported, "the Mark IX is ready to go, but the other nukes have had only marginal effects."

"That should be enough. Standby for transport, I've got it from here."

Carter sat down at the weapons console, thinking about Jack and her crew. She entered the launch code. "Engine room- begin transport."

The unknown vessel had been shooting down a slight majority of ordinance en route, so Carter had set the warhead for proximity detonation. The gigaton-yield bomb threw both the enemy ship and the Phoenix' incoming fire backwards.

"Transport complete," the engineer reported.

"Thank you. Hyperdrive?"

"Down for the count, short of a spacewalk."

"Then wipe and overwrite all computer memory."

There was a pause. "Yes, ma'am."

Carter scanned the enemy ship. It had definitely felt the blow, but it was regenerating quickly, likely using the nuke's own energy. She sighed. "Colonel Carter to all hands. We have lost shields, and despite having dealt our unknown assailant a serious blow, we are at best minutes away from being boarded. With hyperdrive offline and our best weapons expended, there is nothing we can do. We do not know our enemy's intent, but we may have the opportunity to learn it. No crew has shown more courage; hold on to it. Keep your wits about you. Learn what you can, do what you must to survive. I will do everything I can to get you back home."

She stood and looked at her crew's faces, terrified and determined at once. She clapped Timoshenko on the shoulder. He smiled.

Suddenly, the room started spinning. When it stopped, Carter glanced at the sensors, which had not yet been effected by the computer wipe. What she saw resembled a human brain-wave. They want us unconscious do they? Let's see how they deal with good old-fashioned biochemistry.

She grabbed the rest of her cold espresso, gulped half of it down, and handed Timoshenko the rest.

His eyes flashed understanding, downed it and produced caffeine pills from his pocket.

So that's how he's been keeping up with me, Carter thought guiltily.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Our information would seem to be confirmed. They are of the labour-class species of their galaxy, yet there are no reptilian parasites among them, even in larval form.

Their technology is based on Goa'uld designs, but is not of their construction. There is also technology of the small gray humanoids here.

Then it seems clear that the small gray humanoids have somehow engineered a revolution in the affairs of the proximate galaxy. We must advance our timetable.

How, through these limp specimens?

Not so limp. They fought with courage, and their ship is not unworthy. A ship that could not exist had they not defeated the reptilian parasites in battle.

Might does not prove intelligence. The gray ones may have directed their plans.

I would not be so certain. Their commander realized the nature of our neural suppression wave and ingested large amounts of stimulant. She will awaken in half the time of the others.

It shall be tried. Re-activate the suppression field and assemble the relevant specimens for neural scan and biological evaluation.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Carter regained consciousness in scientific heaven- or the next best thing. It was the most intriguing, and palatial, laboratory she had ever seen. She didn't know where to look first. The bad news was, she appeared to be the subject of study, restrained as she was in what seemed to be a medical scanner.

"Greetings, Colonel Samantha Carter!" exclaimed a radially-symmetrical, tentacled being whose skin glowed with a crimson energy. "May I be the first to congratulate you on being found worthy?"

"That's great." When the being said nothing more, she asked, "Of what, exactly?"

"Why, of becoming a template of course."

"Template?"

"Of course. We feel it only right that those beings with superior qualities should be the ones to assist us in the pursuit of an ordered and purposeful existence. The waste of such beings, by uncaring or ignorant societies, is one of the great inequities of the universe, and so we seek to ameliorate this problem. The small porcine being beside me, for example, is the five-hundred and eightieth issue of one of the greatest healers on a world in our home galaxy. You represent a rare convergence of scientific acumen, courage, leadership ability and personal strength. It would not do to let that reside in a single being, when it could benefit entire galaxies."

"You intend to clone me?"

"Not you only. Several of your crew have likewise been found worthy."

"So if this is not your galaxy of origin, why did you come here?"

"Politics among the truly old races of the universe make a long and involved tale, but suffice it to say that we had a minor disagreement with a shortsighted race known as the Furlings. No matter, their loss will soon be your galaxy's gain. You will have the opportunity to shape your own galaxy's future to the great benefit of all."

"What do you mean?"

"You have recently defeated a great enemy in your galaxy, have you not?"

"The Goa'uld."

"Yes. In so doing, you have proven yourselves worthy of the blessings our great civilization can offer."

"If your intentions are peaceful, then why did you attack us?"

"Because beings at your level of development are often self-interested and headstrong. For that reason, worthy specimens are always sought first."

"If you're so interested in our galaxy, why did you wait until now?"

"Naturally we were interested by a galaxy touched by so many of the old races, but the reptilian parasitic lifeforms were unworthy, and by allowing yourselves to be so long enslaved, your species also proved that it was not yet ready for us. Now you have altered that situation."

"Bully for us."

"Your conscious thought processes have now yielded a sufficient baseline reading to begin engrammatic replication. Sleep now."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Carter awoke again, feeling like someone climbing out of a dark pit.

She opened her eyes, and nearly panicked at the sight of stars on three sides of her. She took a breath to reassure herself that she was not in vacuum. She determined that she was sitting on a transparent semi-solid forcefield. The only solid matter in sight was a bulkhead with a closed organic-looking aperture- and the rest of her crew, several still unconscious.

Timoshenko reached out an arm to steady her, and guided her to a part of the forcefield that seemed to serve as a bench.

"Thanks," she said.

"Are you alright? Were you interrogated?"

"Oh, much worse than that. Have you met our captors yet?"

"No. We have seen no one since they brought you and the others back."

"How many others?"

"Thirteen, besides yourself."

"Alright. This is very important. No one who was taken can be trusted, myself included. These aliens were preparing to clone us."

"Than what are we to do?"

Sam found her pocketknife- she presumed it had represented no threat to their captors. She rolled up her sleeve and sliced a v-shape in her left forearm. "Not a perfect countermeasure, but it'll do for now."

The door opened to reveal an unwelcome sight. Teldy, Cooper and Argyll walked in sullenly at the head of their teams- escorted by duplicates of Callaghan and Carter, among others.

"Sorry, Colonel," Teldy said.

"It was a very clever move," duplicate Carter said, "though of course, you didn't reckon on an opponent who shares your memories. I doubt it will console you at the moment, but between your SG teams and your first officer, we have gained several more choice templates."

"What will happen to us?"

"That is not the question you are really asking," the duplicate said. "You are attempting to ascertain our tactical plans and the likelihood of engineering an escape, as you have done so many times before. There is no need for subterfuge. Believe it or not, my masters cherish you, the first worthy template they have had opportunity to collect in a century. They would not deprive you of the opportunity to see the possibilities of your freed minds in action. You and your crew will come with us when the Phoenix returns home to lay the groundwork for my masters' arrival. You will no doubt attempt to escape, and to sabotage our plans, and you will no doubt fail. And then, in time, you will see the majesty of what has been accomplished through you."

"I wouldna' count on it," Argyll said, rising to his feet.

Duplicate Carter stretched out her hand, and without touching him, threw him against the forcefield. "This is only the beginning of the gifts my masters have in store. Think of it- new and younger bodies that will age at a fraction of the speed of your own. Immunity from almost all forms of disease, invulnerability to conventional weapons, the ability to move objects with a thought, or even to share thoughts. Think of all that could be achieved when that is added to the unlimited potential of human consciousness."

Carter shook her head. "None of that would be enough if you were really me. So what hold do they really have over you? Some form of brainwashing?"

"Oh, much more than that. And before you attempt to draw parallels with your replicator twin, don't bother. We both know that the full glory of human personality can never be sustained by curon pathways. I am flesh of your flesh, Sam, mind of your mind. And we both know how difficult it is to defeat that."

"I have a question," Argyll said, standing again.

"Yes?"

"When you said 'almost all forms of disease,' what falls outside that category?"

Duplicate Carter grinned. "Colonel Argyll. SAS to the last. We look forward to your duplicates joining us.

"In the meantime, there are many of you whose minds we do not have, and who may carry relevant knowledge. We could go through the process of mapping your minds, but it is far simpler to take the knowledge directly. Understand that there is no shame in anything you may reveal. There is no possible way to resist. I promise to take only those things that may affect our plans."

Timoshenko stood. "Take me first."

Carter turned in surprise. Duplicate Carter regarded him with a flicker of grief.

"Why do you offer yourself, Roman Arkadiyevich?"

"Because the part of you that is a military officer knows that of the remaining crew, my knowledge is the most valuable. Because I wish to know what it is that can hold the will of the strongest person I have ever known." He walked toward her.

"Very well."

Timoshenko felt her enter his mind like a cool breeze. Greetings, he said.

This is indeed a strange feeling, she thought.

Da. You see my reason for volunteering.

Yes, but I do not understand it.

It is quite simple. I have served Colonel Carter for six months. Look at my perception of her.

You of all people are acquainted with all her foibles, yet you have such confidence in her?

Of course. Someone once wrote that the truest measure of a person is how she treats her subordinates. I have seen the best and worst of her. She is not capable of the lust for power that I see in you, nor of betraying the people she cares about for base motives. I have never seen her betray her principles.

Have you not? Every time she was forced to obey an order she knew to be wrong, even her membership in so compromised an organization. Do you really think that the prospect of making a world where none of that is necessary would hold no appeal? She has spent the last ten years defeating the worst enemy humanity has ever known only to see it all thrown away by shortsighted military and political leadership.

If you think that she isn't already considering all of this, you do not know yourself. But she would not betray her friends to do it. And you cannot believe that the motives of these aliens are anything but thirst for power. Look deeper. Use me as the lens to see youself.

You are trying to distract me.

I am trying to focus you. I have confidence that the memories of Colonel Carter are greater than what they have done to you. I see their tentacles inside you, making you believe what they wish you to believe. But would any civilization able to do what they can do need the threat of force to bring benefits to other worlds? Use my eyes. See how cleverly they entrap you.

I see them. But it changes nothing Roman. I admit that here, in your mind, I see the logic of what you are saying. In my own mind, I am what they have made me.

Then stay here. My brain has not been programmed. Use me.

Even if I did what you are suggesting, one of us is not enough to change anything. At the very least, I would need the other Carters.

Then invite them in. Let them see what you have seen.

Your mind could never withstand all of us.

Then a few at a time. You know that everyone here is willing to help you.

That could work for a time. But this programming motivates by stimulating us to achieve our full potential. Nothing is more addictive than that. We'll have to hold on until the Phoenix is away. That is our window.

To kill yourselves?

No choice. She reached out to her template and showed her what had happened. Don't you agree, Colonel?

Carter hesitated. The part of me that is a Colonel says yes.

Don't be ridiculous, Timoshenko thought. We all know that that would be an unforgivable waste. I'm just an idiot noncom, and no one was ever court-martialed for thinking insubordination. It is time you gave- yourself- the benefit of the doubt. You want to take the chance, both of you, to bet on the hope of the good that you know these people can do, you just need somebody's permission to get past the military mind that says you can't take the chance. You are two of the smartest people in the universe, you both know there are other ways.

You can't risk it. We both know what happens if we can't maintain this, the duplicate argued.

For someone programmed to fulfill your own potential, you're awfully self-destructive, Carter remarked.

Just remembering history. Are you going to make the same mistake again?

I never really gave her a chance, and you know it. Roman is right. I won't sacrifice dozens of lives when there's another option. If we do this, can you conceal it from your masters until we leave?

I think so.

Carter sensed her counterpart's hesitation. What is it?

I'm trying to decide whether this is a clever subterfuge or you are genuinely considering this madness.

You're the telepath. You tell me.

The Tok'ra?

The Tok'ra.

Duplicate Carter released her counterpart from the link and proceeded with the rest of the mental probes even as she began to mentally introduce the other Carters to Roman Timoshenko.

L~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Tok'ra Homeworld- One Year Ago

"The technology used for this cloning process is well beyond anything we possess. These are not merely clones of yourself and your crew; your memory engrams, dendritic connections, thought patterns have all been seamlessly integrated within them, together with the genetic enhancements and the programming which directs them in the service of their creators. It is amazing that they were able to overcome its effects long enough to be brought here. The programming is widely distributed among many neural functions and is highly adaptive. Anything we attempt runs the risk of serious brain damage."

"How do you know that?" Carter asked.

"We were able to partially revive one clone and subject her to stimuli relevant to various programmed responses as we monitored her brain activity. We were unable to isolate any single aspect of the response isolated enough to be susceptible to our neural science."

"Our sedatives didn't work at all," Teldy commented. "How did you restrain her?"

"While their enhancements give them the ability to filter most chemical agents from their bloodstreams, our technology allows us to influence the brain through direct stimulation."

"Speaking of bioelectric, have you been able to figure out how they do… what they do?"

"Their enhanced strength, speed, endurance and ability to deflect weapons fire is indeed due to their ability to manipulate an extremely strong bioelectric field, as you have deduced."

"No wonder the Goa'uld wanted to conquer the Cloners," Teldy commented.

"No wonder they failed," Mingala retorted.

"But what are we to do with all of these clones?" Garsha asked. "Storing them in stasis does not change the fact that they represent a permanent danger to us all."

Carter and her officers exchanged glances. "We thought you might say that. We do have a solution. The only reason we even persuaded the clones not to kill themselves was because we hoped you might have a solution. They would like to offer themselves as hosts."

Garsha's eyes widened. "As hosts?"

"It is possible, isn't it? It's the only way I can think of to safely suppress that kind of pervasive neural programming. We know that the symbiote has the ability to regulate neural processes in the host."

"Yes, to a degree, but who can say how far such re-ordering would have to go in order to neutralize the program, or how much of the host personality might be overwritten in the process? It's unthinkable."

"I would rather live as half-Tok'ra than as a human time-bomb," Carter said. "I know my clones feel the same. I understand if you don't think that you can do this successfully. But you do need hosts. And I did promise the clones that they wouldn't have to live this way. Will you at least try it?"

"It is possible," Mingala interjected. "And hosts such as these would be of great advantage to us. Yet we would need to monitor the psychological effects upon the symbiotes as well, through rigorous testing; perhaps using the zatark detector."

"We will see if volunteers can be found among the Tok'ra who will require new hosts. But Colonel, despite this great city we have built, there will be no more Tok'ra born. If these clones are willing to be our hosts, so be it. But if the first blending is not successful, I cannot allow it to be attempted again."

USAF Phoenix exiting Aschen space

"Daniel! Daniel, wake up."

"Wh- what… time is it?"

"0300."

"Didn't I lock my door?"

"I hacked it, sorry. Wake up, it's really important. I know what we have to do, but I need your opinion."

"…"

A few minutes and a few cups of coffee later…

"Okay, what have you figured out?"

"We've been scrambling around for the last two years trying to get everyone in this galaxy to play nice with us and with each other."

"Yeah, kinda like the little Dutch boy with all his fingers and toes in the dam."

"Exactly. This ship alone has fought thirty-eight separate engagements over the past three months. Granted we won the vast majority, my people are exhausted, shell-shocked and just about ready to crack. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of it. I think it's time we stop reacting and start acting. If we don't create some kind of durable security community, there'll be a war within three months, and then the Cloners'll move in. I say we chuck it and shoot for all the marbles."

"How do you plan to do that?"

"Here's how it works. First, we go to the Tok'ra. We sell them on the idea that they have everything it takes to serve as the knowledge-brokers of the galaxy, the teachers, the technologists. There must be hundreds of human-populated worlds that desperately need their guidance, not to mention fleets full of Jaffa who have no idea how to maintain what the Goa'uld left."

"You think the Jaffa will let the Tok'ra teach them?"

"We know some who will, and others will follow once they see the difference it makes. The Tok'ra get to keep an eye on the Jaffa fleets, they'll like that. Next, we get Teal'c and Bra'tac on board. They must realize things are getting out of control. They can spread the idea among the Jaffa. Then, we go to the more advanced human planets and sell them on helping the former slave planets to recover, with the idea that we start up a conclave consisting of equal representation from all human worlds. They would be in a position to publicize any Jaffa aggression, and could provide a forum for the new Alliance. We tell them that, for their own security, a new joint security force will be needed to counterbalance the power of the Jaffa and any other military power that might emerge. Then we go back to the Jaffa with that idea, selling it as a way of hunting the remaining Goa'uld and as an alternative to civil war. Earth can act to facilitate that force, as well as scientific, technological and cultural exchanges. Everyone wins."

L~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Tok'ra Homeworld, Six Months Later

"Welcome, Colonel Carter. It is good to see you again."

"Thank you Anise, likewise."

"The Tokra are greatly in your debt for your role in establishing the new quadripartite treaty."

"I'm- surprised- you feel that way."

"Trust does not come easily to the Tokra, and each party must exchange freedom to pursue their own interests for security. Yet even the High Council came to be persuaded that your approach was absolutely necessary to ensure galactic stability during this transition."

"I'm glad. Now if we can just get the scientific and cultural exchanges and dispute-resolution mechanisms functioning, we might actually make this work."

"I have been working toward that end. I think you will be impressed with what we are prepared to bring to the scientific and historical exchanges. I was inspired by a point you made to in your speech before the High Council. You said the Jaffa can operate the technology built by their Goa'uld masters, but they cannot maintain it, and producing it without the use of human slave populations presents insurmountable obstacles. I have been endeavoring to persuade the Council that the best way to heal the rift between Tokra and Jaffa and provide each with an interest in the other's future was for us to aid them in this regard, through training, education, maintenance and technical services."

"You would become their technical support. Interesting."

"I have already been in contact with the Jaffa, via the Hak'tyl whom I worked with. The Hak'tyl have volunteered to serve as our liaisons with the Jaffa, smoothing our introduction. Frankly, they are so much easier to work with than all the others except Bra'tac and Teal'c that we feel safer that our knowledge should be in their hands. The other Jaffa are not in a position to refuse our help."

"I- wow. I never thought you'd take that suggestion and run with it. To be honest, I thought it was likely to fall on deaf ears, that we'd be lucky just to get a scientific exchange going."

"You underestimate your persuasiveness, as did we all. I had always thought of Doctor Jackson as the negotiator among you, but you showed great untapped ability that day. Your words will be stored forever in the Tokra archives for posterity."

"I'm flattered. I look forward to seeing what you've come up with." Untapped greatness. Memories of her replicator twin flashed though Sam's mind as they had so often over the past months, along with memories of Jolinar.

"Colonel Carter? Are you alright?"

"I don't know. To be honest, I need your help."

"Anise and I are at your disposal," Freya said. "How may we serve you?"

"Martouf once helped me to use the memory recall device to access buried memories of Jolinar. I need to try that again."

"May I ask what it is that you seek?"

"During my first year on the Phoenix, we spent a great deal of time in combat, so much that it became routine."

"I have heard. We have much to thank you for in that regard as well."

"The point is, whenever I managed to sleep during that time, I started dreaming very vividly, the same kind of dream, over and over. It was as though I were Jolinar, watching through her eyes as she acted. I think she was a System Lord."

"Correct. Her early years were spent trying to overthrow the Goa'uld as a System Lord. Only after she was unsuccessful did she join the Tok'ra."

"Then she wasn't descended from Egeria?"

"No. She is one of the very few outside that lineage to ever turn back from the ways of the System Lords."

"Then this becomes even more important. The memories of Jolinar I've been able to access before have always been to do with the recent past. Now maybe that was intentional on her part."

"Perhaps she wished to give you what was most useful to you."

"Yes. But these dreams started right after an intense anxiety dream. That dream was about losing Jolinar's memories, and somehow also about the end of the Tokra. I think that was somehow connected to the knowledge of the Tokra's decline. It was strange. The anxiety was with me for days. I never realized how I had come to feel about Jolinar until I thought I was losing that part of myself. When the dreams started… I was glad. Now I think maybe the anxiety came from Jolinar's feelings about the Tokra. I think she's trying to tell me something."

"But in order for that to be so- she would have had to have embedded large portions of herself in you, beyond the usual extent of blending."

"We've seen a Goa'uld do that before, but the result was a functioning personality."

"That would have been an unconscionable intrusion on the host mind. Perhaps Jolinar merely wished to ensure that she could provide you with useful information as you needed it? What do you think she was trying to tell you?"

"Part of it I haven't been able to figure out yet. But part of it… I think there may be another queen like Egeria out there. What does the name Ma'at mean to you?"

USAF Phoenix orbiting Tegereth

"Entering orbit," Cooper reported.

Carter moved to one of the sensor stations. "Wow. Major evidence of civilization. Tying in visual imaging..."

"Looks like a nice town."

"Yeah. Fifty more just like it, and lots of small villages, grouped in the lower temperate zone of the northern continent, around the stargate."

"You said the gate coordinates weren't on the Abydos cartouche or in the Ancient database. If it has a gate…"

"Good question. We'll have to ask- energy spike! Shields!"

Everyone lost their seats as the ship's gravity field failed to compensate for the force of the impact.

"Shields down fifty percent! Hyperdrive engines out, system overloads on all decks. No hull breaches, but that'll change."

"Military thrust, get us out of the line of fire."

"Kree, intruders. This is a protected world. Whom do you serve? Speak quickly, or die."

"This is Colonel Samantha Carter of the Tauri vessel Phoenix. Hold your fire."

"Preposterous. The Tauri are primitive. You will have to come up with a better lie than that."

"We are friends of the Tok'ra and of the Asgard. And if I'm speaking to whom I think I am, then the name Jolinar of Malkshur should be familiar to you."

"What do you know of Jolinar?"

"I was her host, for a time. Please, let me come down and speak with you."

There was a pause. "Yes, come. My ring transporter will receive you."

"Major Telty, gear up. I'll go in first. You will follow once I've signaled, not before."

"If I may, Colonel, that's a very bad idea."

"This Goa'uld has been living isolated from the outside universe for some time. It's a gesture of trust. Major Cooper, the ship is yours."

Sam materialized inside what looked like the courtyard of a temple, lush with flowers, trees, and plants she couldn't identify. It was nearly dusk, the red sun setting behind the beautifully-crafted white stone temple, but the garden was illuminated by bioluminescent trees.

From the gates of the temple emerged a dark-skinned woman, tall and lithe, wearing a simple white tunic. Over the gate was a set of stone scales and an ankh. The woman beckoned Sam. As she climbed the steps, Sam could feel the presence of the Goa'uld within. "Ma'at," she said.

"You know my name. And I feel the echo of Jolinar within you. Please, come in, and tell me what has become of my dearest friend."

Ma'at led her down the hallway, past the curious eyes of humans dressed as Ma'at was, to a small room, simply decorated but for a stream running down through it.

"Who are they?" Sam asked.

"Not my worshippers, if that is what you ask. They are those who have chosen to join me in meditation and study. There are many such temples throughout the villages, centres of education, healing, craftsmanship, and a timeless wisdom that cannot be learned from books. Of all human concepts, wisdom is still the one that fascinates me. A state of which knowledge is not a sufficient condition, which can be approached only through an open heart. Do you believe in such a thing, Colonel Samantha Carter?"

"Where I come from, I'm considered pretty smart, but I've seen beings with the greatest knowledge in the universe squander it. I guess I believe there has to be something better than that."

"You have met the Ascended?" she asked sardonically. "They do not impress me. One or two of them are alright, but most cannot see past the edges of their incorporeal eyelashes. Believe me, they are hardly the final statement on the possibilities of sapient life. I have seen things over the millennia that were enough to exult my heart and spirit beyond any thought of this plane, beyond life or death, beyond discord and pain. I stay only to protect these, my people."

"Well, the good news is that you don't have to anymore. The System Lords have perished."

Ma'at sighed. "At last. At last. Three rotations of this planet past, I felt as though a great shadow had lifted from the stars. Jolinar nearly succeeded in destroying them. She was on the brink of victory when she sent me back here, to the place where she found me, for safekeeping. She ceded all her dominions secretly to the Asgard before the battle, that they might be protected. At that time, she ruled nearly a sixth of all that the System Lords had held. I never heard from her again, look though I did."

"The memories she left me of that time are vague, but it seems that she succeeded in overthrowing several of the worst System Lords before they united to destroy her. She fled to the Tok'ra with what remained of her Jaffa. She set the System Lords back for centuries, forcing them to abandon hundreds of slave worlds for lack of the resources to control them. Numerous minor lords overthrew their masters, there were centuries of civil war."

"The Tok'ra? Then she was desperate indeed. She thought them weak for refusing to overthrow the Goa'uld directly. And what has become of her now?" By her face, Ma'at knew the answer.

"She was hunted by an ashrak of Cronos. She attempted to conceal herself in me, but the ashrak, largely through our ignorance, caught up to us. She died with hope. Those were her last words. Her last act was to save my life. The knowledge she left me with helped us find the Tok'ra. Without that alliance, the Goa'uld would probably still rule today."

Tears streamed down Ma'at's face. She bowed her head over the stream. "Then she died well. Rejoice, Jolinar, for in your death you cast down the tyrants. I long to see you again, in the true homeland."

After what seemed like hours, Ma'at rose. Snippits of Jolinar's memories of her long and close friendship with Ma'at came to the fore. Sam couldn't help but cry a little herself. She could barely imagine that kind of companionship in such circumstances.

"I thank you for bringing this news to me. Jolinar in life was the greatest of friends. In death, she is a beacon of hope for all. I must spread the word to those of my children I can reach."

"Your children?"

"Of course. Every Jaffa of Jolinar's army carried a symbiote. After the death of Jolinar's mother Diana, I was the source of those prim'ta. Jolinar placed them on the worlds she ceded to the Asgard as watchers and guardians."

"If that's true, you can be of more help than you know. The Tok'ra are dying out. Their queen, Egeria, was lost some time ago. I am here partly on their behalf."

"I see. And if the Tok'ra die out?"

"There are thousands of minor Goa'uld still at large, and the galaxy is not a very safe place right now. Without the Tok'ra, the balance of power could shift back."

"I see. I must think about your request."

"There is also a more personal side to it. There is a species which we call the Cloners."

"I know of them."

"They cloned a number of copies of myself and my friends, modified the clones' psychological imperatives for their own purposes. They managed to fight past the urge for domination and conquest for a time. The Tok'ra have them in stasis now, but without a symbiote to suppress their programming, they can never be revived safely."

"There are copies of you?"

"Yes."

"With all your knowledge, including the memories of Jolinar?"

"I think so, yes."

"If you could have the opportunity again to blend with Jolinar, would you do so?"

"I would like to think so."

"Then I will do it. I cannot bear the thought of Jolinar's memories, her courage and compassion being extinguished. I will bear offspring with her memories for these clones. There is a certain symmetry in giving the Tok'ra so many Jolinars to deal with. If the blending of the symbiote's memories with those left to you is fortunate, the result should be formidable."

"You can do that? I thought genetic memory was always in the maternal line."

"Before we parted, I asked Jolinar for a genetic sample. The paternal line also contributes, else the Goa'uld would not be such slaves to the compounded memories and thirst for power, when even my mother's mother could remember a time when Goa'uld lived on our own planet. Although a queen may produce offspring of herself, an implanted symbiote contributes genetic material when its host is used to provide genetic compatibility to the offspring, hence those among the Goa'uld who represent themselves as parents and children."

Tok'ra Homeworld

"I am Ma'at, daughter of Ouria the old, who was mother also to Egeria. My host is Silara, who shall speak for herself when her part comes in the story. In the time before Ra discovered the Tauri, when our kind infested the Unas alone, we were still learning. The story of how it came that the first of us escaped from the waters of our homeworld I will not repeat here. Enough to say that we were no older in mind than were the Unas when we began. Three queens were among those who escaped. One, Nut, was of no subsequent consequence save that she bore Hathor, and with Hathor the most malignant strain of the Goa'uld. One was Elamel, mother of Ouria. One was Ishtar, from whom the most common line of queens emerges. Elamel strove to maintain the power of the queens as their progeny went out into the universe and began to subjugate it. She was ultimately killed. Her daughter Ouria was a student of the Ancient inhabitants of this galaxy, and as she felt her mind expand, she began to realize what she was, what she was doing with her life. You must understand, the Goa'uld were by your standards scarcely even self-aware on many levels and took much time to master the knowledge they gained. Only Ouria troubled herself to study more than the means of power of the Ancients. Their moral code, their quest for meaning, their concept of a harmonious society appealed to her, and she even attempted to educate her host, though she soon realized that it could not assimilate more than the most basic concepts. She realized that the Goa'uld could never achieve these ideals while their hosts were not equals. For this reason she sent me to follow Ra to Earth, in hopes that this new species could be the salvation of the Goa'uld from their own parasitic tendencies. She envisioned the Goa'uld as bringers of light and knowledge. I tried my best. Even when Ra and Hathor conspired together to enslave the humans, I remained to teach, as my sister Egeria did in a later age, knowing that meaningful resistance was not yet possible. I found myself learning as much as teaching. When at last I felt the people were ready, I showed them how to overcome Ra's overseers and bury their gate. I was content to remain among them as a teacher and wanderer, or would have been, except that other Goa'uld returned and discovered the second gate, bringing with them the news that Ouria had perished. I realized I had been away too long, that they had all become too powerful. As my part in the uprising was not known, I made alliances with some who seemed least objectionable, and searched out my sister, whom Ouria had hidden away. That part of the story, you know. Egeria went to Earth, hoping to fulfill our mother's wishes there. She was the first of us to overcome our reticence about reproducing at that time, trusting her offspring would not allow themselves to be corrupted. Shortly after, Ra captured her. I searched for my sister, though I could not even find out to which planet Ra had taken her. I travelled from planet to planet, giving guidance to populations abandoned by the Goa'uld, working my way into the councils of the System Lords in order to determine if any of them was worth trusting, to find out their secrets, but also to keep them ignorant as the Tok'ra resistance took form. I spent a few centuries probing the worlds of this galaxy for potential allies, for knowledge that could help defeat the Goa'uld. I found much that was of use, including some allies, and was able to do much to spoil the plans of the System Lords. With the Asgard, I worked toward the Protected Planets Treaty. With the others, we arranged tricks to deter the System Lords from attempting to encroach. And then, as I was wandering in unknown space, weary from my labors and wondering how best to bear children for the struggle, Jolinar found me.¨

Tok'ra Homeworld, One Month Later

"We realize that it is much to ask, and we have no wish to pressure you. Know that we would not ask if the survival of our children was not at stake. We have tried alternative methods of incubating our young, replicating the waters of our homeworld, but they do not prosper. The Jaffa who live among us are too few to carry them all. I- forgive me. We will understand if you cannot bear to do it."

"Why ask the Hak'tyl, and not the other Jaffa?" Ishta asked.

"In working with you these last months, we have come to realize that, of all the Jaffa, you are the ones whom we would most trust with our offspring. Many of the others would simply make use of them, as they did the Goa'uld symbiotes before. But you, who went to such lengths to save and protect your own children, will understand the bond of trust this represents."

Ishta opened her tunic at the belly and seized the larval Goa'uld which she had opted to carry in preference to tretonin when supplies had become available, snapping it viciously in half. "I have carried the spawn of the accursed false gods for nearly half a century. If I can bear that, how much more gladly will I bear this? I will carry a prim'ta of Ma'at. Who else will join me?"

More than half of the Hak'tyl present stepped forward.

"We thank you," Garsha replied. "By this act of generosity, you give us a gift that we can never forget. The Tok'ra are forever in your debt."

"Between friends," Ishta said, offering her hand, "there is no owing."

"Well said. A seed is planted. From this day forth, the Tok'ra and the Hak'tyl grow together in friendship and common purpose."

Allied Forces Command SGC, Phaedra III, Present Day

The landing platform on the mountainside several hundred feet below the old fortress was a hive of activity, as the diverse members of the new command moved rapidly to square away the cargo palettes and supplies that had been dumped there. Carter and O'Niell walked through the commotion, trying not to be run over.

"So… IOA representative, huh?"

"Yup."

"How the hell did you sell them that one?"

"Well, they owed me one. Well, maybe more than one. Besides, I was getting a little antsy sitting around all day. Too much like being a general."

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd have enough of fishing."

"Oh, I like fishing. I fished, you fished, we fished. We had a good year. It's just- I got used to fishing with you. I don't want to give that up."

"Sir-"

"Will you please stop calling me "sir?" We're married for crying out loud. No, I get it. I put you in command of the team, and you learned to fly on your own. Now you finally got the treaty in place, and you need to be out here making it happen. I get that. I just don't want to sit around wondering when you'll have time to get back. You spent all those years making all our crazy plans go right. Now, I'm the frickin' IOA, so I can do the same for yours. If you want me?"

She grabbed him around the shoulders and pulled him in. "Shut up, Jack."

"Colonel Carter, this is Phoenix. We're in contact with four cloaked ships requesting clearance to land. They've given the correct recognition codes."

"It's alright Phoenix. We've been expecting them."

"So… saw your requisition forms. Railguns, .50 cals, Stingers, Javelins, LAWs, M4's, P-90's, TERs, SAWs, zats, all in lifetime supplies I might add. I'd have thought the whole saving the galaxy single-handed thing would have gotten old after that first year on Phoenix."

"Not so much. Ah, there they are." Four Al'kesh decloaked on the landing pad in front of them.

"Sweet," said O'Niell

"Wait'l you see what they brought."

A hatch opened. "Good morning, campers!"

"Daniel! Thought you were on the Tokra homeworld."

"Yeah, well, now I'm here. Sam figured I could help run the culturo-linguistic division, and since there are so many parties involved, I figured it would be like a sort of galactic Pugwash Conference."

"What?"

"A meeting of- never mind."

"Greetings." Anise was stepping out of the second Al'kesh, with a small hoard of Tok'ra in tow.

"Didn't tell me she was gonna be here," O'Niell whispered.

"Anise, Freya, welcome. To all of you. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to us to have the Tok'ra as our partners in this endeavor."

"The honour is ours. You have, after all, saved us from eventual extinction. I have the prototype weapons and equipment here, ready for your inspection."

"Excellent."

"Colonel Carter, General O'Niell," another voice called from the hatch of one of the Al'kesh.

"Welcome Neith. We thank the Hak'tyl for joining us."

"It is our honour. I bring forty of our best warriors. We pledge ourselves to your service and that of the Alliance, Colonel Carter. Together we will make this galaxy a place free people may call home without fear."

"Yes, we will. Listen, when you and your sisters have settled in, I'd like you to come up to the veranda. Spread the word around."

"We will."

Jack took a moment to wave at Mingala as she emerged from one of the Al'kesh. Her heroic efforts to save SG-1 while working undercover in Hathor's lair had made her one of the few Tok'ra he really trusted- especially since without her help, he would now be a Goa'uld host.

"So," said Jack when he and Sam had left the new arrivals to their unpacking and re-entered the mountainside, "Free Jaffa, Hak'tyl, Tok'ra. Quite a party."

"You think I invited too many guests."

"Hey, it's your party. I assume all these people have been chosen for good reasons. They'll just need some time to get used to each other, is all. Having been there the last few times we tried this, I just hope you remember what we're in for."

"I've spent most of the last two months since I got approval for the base recruiting. You know, come make the galaxy a safer place, join the fight against bad guys and anarchy and corruption."

"How'd that work out for ya?"

"All the Tok'ra have worked with either Jolinar, Selmak or Anise, and were cleared by Garsha. The Jaffa have all served with Teal'c, Bra'tac or Ishta personally. I just wish they wouldn't feel the need to go around swearing allegiance to me."

"To you?"

"Believe me, when I see Teal'c again, my revenge will be epic. I feel like a feudal lord. What the hell am I supposed to do with eighty Jaffa sworn to die for me?"

"This wasn't your idea?"

"I said 'Help me find Jaffa,' not 'I wish to become a System Lord,'" Carter protested.

"Well, maybe he has a point. Lotsa bored Jaffa out there, don't know what to do with themselves without the whole mayhem in the name of the gods thing. All I know is, army of loyal Jaffa means awesome badassness. I don't suppose you've told the Pentagon about this little detail."

"They didn't ask."

"Carter…"

"I'll tell them. I just need to find the right phrasing."

"Yes, well, you find. Phrase. Meanwhile, I'll- What the heck are the Madronans doing here?"

"Oh, I also asked some of our more societally advanced human partners to send cultural and technical representatives. It is their galaxy too, and with all the Jaffa around, they don't like feeling like outsiders in the Alliance. Some of the Langarans and Tagreans will be coming in the next day or so."

"So, four SG teams, Jaffa, Tokra, humans from other worlds, and your crew from Phoenix. Anyone else? Tin men, or a scarecrow perchance?"

"Well, just a British SAS team, in addition to SG-7. And a Marine platoon."

"Why do people always invite the jarheads? They just shoot at things."

"You just shoot at things."

"Well, yeah, my point is, I shoot at the right things and… was that redhead marine an MP?"

"I asked for a combination of Force Recon types and MP's."

"I take it that comes in equal parts from a desire to shove the supposed no-women-in-combat rule where it belongs and to moderate the unfettered impulse to storm the beaches."

"Yep. All the MP's have served at least one tour in combat zones. Don't worry, the Marines know they're just here to guard the base and provide moral support when we need to blast our way in somewhere."

"So nothing that requires higher brain function, then. Speaking of the base, how much of it is there?"

"It's one of Jolinar's old fortresses. When we got the idea to set up a second SGC as a headquarters for Alliance activity, I remembered this place. She discovered this planet, Phaedra III, herself, so the System Lords never knew about it. The gateroom, along with the hanger and most of the facility, is about a kilometer under the mountain, which is heavily shielded. We've had to expand it considerably using Tok'ra tunnel crystals. These landing pads are on the gentler south slope, with the fortress itself at the summit. It has amazing laboratories, a fully-equipped observatory and holographic mapping facility, a library of Goa'uld knowledge- you should really see it."

"Leave anything cool behind?"

"Some weapons and equipment we've never seen before that we're analyzing now. Apparently she wasn't happy with the efficiency of the usual Goa'uld devices and tried to do better. A base shield that we've enhanced, some ground-to-space particle weapons and a few batteries of their equivalent of SAMs. Also a fully equipped medical suite, and a ship."

"A ship?"

"It's like she scaled down the Ha'tak class, doubled the efficiency of all the combat systems, and built it like a sports car. We're talking fast, manouvrable, improved engines, shields and weapons, enhanced survivability, everything slimmed down… well, see for yourself." They emerged from the elevator doors which opened into the fortress courtyard.

"Holy…buckets."

It was still vaguely pyramidal in shape, but with a gently sloping back corner and a snub-nosed front. It rested on the fortress courtyard by a thin, needle-like protrusion from its keel. It was sleek, silver and powerful-looking.

"This thing still works?"

"Yeah, it's a couple centuries behind the times in terms of propulsion tech, but if we can get it upgraded, this could be the future direction of Goa'uld legacy technology. It's almost as though she took all the…"

"Goa'uldishness?"

"-from it. This is the road not taken. The Tok'ra will be working with the Jaffa to get it operational."

"Cool."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

Later on, Carter stood before the assembled base personnel in the courtyard.

"May I please have your attention. Jaffa. You have fought and defeated creatures who used you for evil ends. Now you must fight the effect that history had on you. Tok'ra. You have dedicated your lives to fighting for freedom in this galaxy since before Earth began recording history. Now that dream is achieved. Posterity will judge you by how your wisdom is used to build the peace. Tauri. You need no longer fear the might of the Goa'uld. We must make sure that all humans on all the worlds are free to build societies worth living in.

"Each SG team will consist for now of six members. A Hak'tyl or Free Jaffa, a Tokra linguist or scientist, a human civilian expert in one of those fields, and three military officers. For now, these will all be SG personnel. Others will accompany the teams as the mission requires. As we identify personnel suited to the unique demands of an SG unit, we will form new units.

"This command will be run on a basis similar to special ops units on Earth. That means that formality and rank will not be allowed to obstruct our work. If you have an idea, a contribution, a suggestion to improve our operations, you will be heard. The very nature of this enterprise is experimental, so we must improve our operations as we go. What this operation does require of you is the utmost dedication, courage, resourcefulness, capacity for understanding and desire to work with one another.

"The command council will consist of myself, General O'Niell, Colonel Davis as my adjutant, Nieth for the Hak'tyl, Freya for the Tok'ra, Sha'kith for the other Free Jaffa, Daniel Jackson for the cultural division, and the SG team taking point in each matter."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

"Unscheduled off-world activation."

"Where from?"

"Receiving SGC IDC."

"Lower the shield."

A champaign bottle rolled through, and the gate closed.

"About time," O'Niell remarked, jogging down to the gate.

"What does the note say?"

" 'Congratulations Alliance Task Group on achieving operational status of Allied Forces Command SGC.' Colonel, turn around." O'Niell palmed something taped to the note.

Carter raised an eyebrow but complied.

"If I could have your attention everyone?

"Now, on Earth we have a big old ritual for this sort of thing. We're not on Earth, so I think we can truncate it. Colonel, ten hut!"

Carter snapped to attention.

"The President of the United States of America takes great pleasure in conferring on Colonel Samantha Carter, in light of her long and dedicated service, her brilliant leadership and tactics leading to the destruction of many of the gravest threats the Earth has ever faced, her diplomatic achievement in uniting the disparate races of this galaxy in alliance, and her unquestioned record of selfless heroism, the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force."

With that, Daniel stepped in to remove the eagles from her shoulder-boards, as O'Niell pinned on the stars. "Speaking on behalf of General Hammond as well as myself, congratulations, General."

"Thank you s- Jack."

The ululations and war-whoops of the Jaffa were somewhat unorthodox, but the population of the base seemed to be gratified by the recognition bestowed on their leader.

Daniel, watching the stream of well-wishers with O'Niell, said, "You know, for some reason this always gives me a happy hit."

"It's a tradition. There's something right about the universe when Carter gets promoted. Like maybe something's working right."

"You still call her 'Carter,' she still catches herself calling you 'sir.' Ever going to change?"

"Nope."

"Let me guess. You retired, got married and found out that you'd both been perfectly happy all along when you were out saving the galaxy together. And now you're here, so you can finally do both."

"There's fishing. We fish, now. It's nice."

"But does it compare to saving the galaxy?"

"That's nice too. Fishing, saving the galaxy- I think that's a balanced relationship. I even found a pond for us right here."

"There are no ichthyoids on this planet."

"Or in my pond back home. Never stopped me before."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

O'Niell couldn't figure out why, but for some reason his new job meant that Carter felt the need to brief him on every aspect of the base and its operations ad nauseum. It was almost like being a general again, and that was not a fun feeling. Much as he loved Carter, he could never feel the same about her technical briefings, mainly because she always felt the need to give him a big words-related headache before coming out and saying what was cool about whatever they happened to be discussing. Then again, there were exceptions. Like the new gear the Tok'ra had brought. "Okay… what is it?"

"The dorsal unit is a beam-firing particle weapon, based on the ones Jolinar left here. The ventral unit is a railgun, seven point six two mil armour-piercing with a seventy-round top-loading magazine, muzzle velocity eighteen hundred metres per second. It's the first operational atmospheric railgun since the Tok'ra gave us the necessary cooling technology."

"Sweet. Seventy rounds?"

"Well, no need for cartridges. It can fire single shot or automatic at 250 or 500 rounds per minute. The barrel runs almost the full length of the weapon and there are almost no moving parts. The power cell for the particle beam is on the bottom, ejects like a normal clip. The sight is telescopic and infrared, with a TER illuminator built-in. Now, this headset contains a new silent tactical radio earpiece, as well as a monacle HUD which can see most of the electromagnetic spectrum, and interfaces with the sight on the weapon for targeting. The vest is a less robust and more flexible version of the same armour technology used by Anubis' Kull warriors. Our new weapons can penetrate it, but it would take concentrated fire from a staff weapon or P-90 to get through."

"So the purpose of the arsenal you requisitioned back home was…"

"At the moment, we only have enough for the SG teams and us. The Tok'ra are working with some of the technologically-based human societies to set up production lines, but as it is, they're spread pretty thin between keeping the Jaffa fleets operational and helping out the liberated slave planets. To be honest, the sooner we develop alternative sources of equipment the better I'll feel. As long as this base is at the mercy of IOA or Pentagon cuts, our mission, and therefore the Alliance, is in jeopardy. What you said about a lifetime supply- that was pretty accurate. I want to insure this Task Force against a future drop in Earth support. If we become self-sufficient, get support from our various allies, we can dodge a lot of outside pressure."

"Sounds like a plan. But are any of our allies likely to be more forthcoming than the IOA?"

Daniel took that one. "Actually, yes. The Tok'ra are all in. They've really stepped up to their new role as consultants, advisors and occasional diplomats, but they realize that it's a tenuous endeavor without some sort of security regime. Also, as former secret operatives, they have the perfect skill sets to add here.

"The Hak'tyl are also on board. It seems returning to their old lives held no appeal for them, and they're pretty sick and tired of some of the ingrained attitudes they get from the rest of the Free Jaffa leadership. If not for Bra'tac, they'd have struck off on their own long ago. As it is, they're recruiting among Jaffa women, increasing their numbers. They're becoming a sort of Jaffa commando force, going after rogue Jaffa, criminal elements and so on, with great success, in addition to being the Tok'ra's liason to their Free Jaffa clients. A number of human worlds have already expressed interest in expanding their participation, and the list goes on."

"We'll need a bigger base."

"Bases," Carter said. "One about seven thousand light-years away, run by the Tok'ra, a Hak'tyl base about twenty-thousand light-years away, and another being set up jointly by some of the human worlds, along with the Enkarans and the Gadmeer. We'll have to do it slowly and carefully, take our time about screening recruits and admitting human worlds to military participation, but I think between those three groups alone, we can easily quadruple the size of the task force. That's even before we consider races like the Rhetu or the Reol who have open options on the Treaty."

"What'll that do to the balance of power?"

"I know it'll give influence to both the Tok'ra and the Hak'tyl over policy, maybe more than we would like. I can handle it."

"Actually, I meant the balance of power out there."

"Oh. Well, I guess the answer is nothing that hasn't already happened. When the music stopped, the Tok'ra ended up taking over a pretty large fleet of Goa'uld ships of all classes, some, interestingly, crewed by Jaffa who'd become loyal to them personally."

"You mean like Khonsu's boys."

"Exactly. The Hak'tyl got most of Moloc's fleet and large chunks of several others. Both have been trading some of their motherships and cargo vessels for what they'd rather have- smaller numbers of the specialized and upgraded motherships that no one else has the resources to maintain, and lots of Al'kesh."

"Planning to have a party with them?"

"Let's just say they want to be prepared for every contingency. Combined with the concentration of Tok'ra expertise in both fleets, they're in practice the two most battle-ready forces out there. Only the forces directly loyal to Teal'c and Bra'tac are near the same level, partly because of them and partly because the Tok'ra give them preferential treatment in the maintenance program. Anyway, adding significant portions of the Hak'tyl and Tok'ra forces to our own would probably tend to lessen anxieties rather than create them."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

Why is it, Carter mused, that alerts always happen between one and three am? "Neith, what's happening?"

"Four Ha'tak vessels have just dropped out of hyperspace. They do not respond to our challenge, and their weapons systems are active."

"General, this is Major Cooper. They're entering orbit. We're at general quarters. Orders?"

"Shields and weapons on standby, Major."

A Jaffa bearing a gold forehead-tattoo appeared on the monitor. "I am Ti'roth of the Free Jaffa. This world is under Jaffa control. Leave, or we will open fire."

"This is General Carter of Allied Stargate Command. Our presence is in accord with treaties signed by your government, and this base is manned by Free Jaffa. If you have a problem with our presence, take it up on the Assembly floor."

"They have ceased transmission."

"Sha'kith, talk to them. Maybe-"

"General, they're locking you up."

"Raise the base shield and dial Dakara. I need to speak with Teal'c or Bra'tac. Phoenix, authorization to engage."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

"Yes ma'am! Shields to maximum, defensive fire to special auto. Full military thrust. I'll target their weapons arrays with drones, then missiles free. Disable if possible, destroy if necessary."

"What about the 302s?"

"Hold for my order."

Major Cooper sat back in the Ancient control chair. The drones, powered by the ship's Zero-Point Module, were devastatingly precise in targeting and explosive yield, depending on what she chose to put in them. And what she put in was more than enough to get past the Jaffa shields and destroy their weapons arrays. A few extra drones intercepted nuclear weapons on the way to the surface. Thanks to the unfinished Ancient ship they had discovered on the Phoenix's last mission, they had lifetime stocks and more. The weapons platform in Antarctica was also once again fully stocked.

"Alright, that's it, take 'em. Engines and power systems first."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

"General, we've disabled their weapons and propulsion, but they're launching gliders and Al'kesh."

"Kill the Al'kesh, before they can de-orbit." The last thing I need is a base on a nuked island.

"Done. Engaging the gliders with missiles and railguns.

"Okay, they're breaking off."

"Send the F-302's to round them up and force them to land. Make sure they're all accounted for. I'll send Telty and her team to set up a containment area for the crews of the motherships, then you can start sending them down."

"Understood. Fighters, clear to launch."

"What will you do with them?" Sha'kith asked.

"First, find out who they are, where they're from and how many others think like they do. I'll need your help with that. Afterward, Dakara can deal with them."

Sha'kith bowed. "I will assist Colonel Teldy and SG 3."

"Sergeant, wake Colonel Argyll. Have SG 7 secure the landing platform. Tell him to take whatever Jaffa and Marines he needs."

"What about their ships?" Nieth enquired. "Unless you plan to allow them to burn up in the atmosphere?" Apparently, lordhood didn't exempt Carter from Neith's razor sarcasm.

That question gave Carter pause. "I'll ask Teal'c. If he doesn't want them returned, you might as well strip them for parts for the maintenance program."

Neith grinned.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

"So, what did I miss?" O'Niell had been on Earth meeting with the IOA.

"Apparently, some Jaffa have decided they don't like us being here. We have four captured Ha'taks in orbit, and about four hundred prisoners, mostly former Moloc and Cronos sects. Sha'kith is interrogating them now. We're just waiting for Teal'c."

"Great. This is just what we needed. Those IOA weenies are gonna love this."

"Offworld activation," the technician on duty reported. "Receiving Teal'c's IDC. Lowering shield."

"O'Niell, General Carter, I am gratified to see you once more. General Carter, may I offer my congratulations on your promotion. It is most gratifying to see your achievements and courage so properly rewarded."

"Thank you, Teal'c."

"What of these Jaffa who attacked you? I have asked everyone who might have had knowledge of this attack and found nothing. Bra'tac remains behind to make inquiries."

"Sha'kith's talking to 'em now," O'Niell said. "We were just waiting for you."

"Then let us proceed. This I am eager to hear."

"So'm I," Carter said. "The last thing we need now is a blowup like what happened after we lost the Alpha Site."

"Indeed."

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

"You say this so-called Task Force is in the interests of the Jaffa, manned by Jaffa, equipped with Jaffa ships, respecting Jaffa ways? Then I say a Jaffa should lead it. I challenge you for the leadership. If you truly honour our ways, you cannot refuse. Joma Secu." Ti'roth clearly expected his outrageous challenge to be ignored by the cowardly humans.

Carter leaned forward. "Alright. But we will do it in public, because I'm only doing this once. And no armour." She turned and took the combat knives from the belts of the SG guards and left the room before the stunned Jaffa had a chance to react.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

The sun was hot in front of the stockade they had erected for the Jaffa prisoners. Task force personnel lined the designated arena. Carter figured if she won, the more witnesses the better. "Alright say it. You two were going to talk me out of this, right?"

"Ti'roth is reputed to be a formidable warrior," said Teal'c. "Else he would not have been made a first prime. However, I know your resourcefulness far too well to do anything but pity him. Your response is most wise. By answering this challenge you respect Jaffa custom and force them to accept your position and your Alliance."

"Jack?"

"Well don't look at me, Carter. I've seen you in hand-to-hand, remember. You'll get him, and we can have lunch." Teal'c regarded him stoically. "What, I'm hungry!"

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

"Ah dammit, Carter. It's not just me, is it? She's not getting him."

"Be patient O'Niell. If General Carter had demonstrated her skill at the beginning, he would have maintained standoff distance. Now he will attempt to grapple and disarm her."

Teal'c was right. Carter had deliberately let herself appear incompetent, taking several blows and a slash to her left arm. Now Ti'roth thought he could overwhelm her with strength. He advanced with a series of probing slashes. She gave him an opening, let him commit to it and dropped to one knee, slashing his wrist en passent and elbowing him in the gut. She knew without thinking what his response would be. As he stepped back and stabbed down, she snared his knife arm with between her legs and rolled. As the Jaffa flipped onto his back, dislocating a shoulder, she took his knife and stood. Round two, she thought.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

"Whoa," said Daniel.

"It is what the Jaffa call shai'ek ti'in, the demonstration of superiority through a reading of the opponent so complete that normal limitations of combat do not apply. I was unaware that General Carter knew of the concept," Teal'c observed.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Carter fought as methodically as she did everything else. She figured the best way to win this fight was to dictate Ti'roth's responses in ways she could use. The first part of this fight was to allow her to get Ti'roth's measure and make him overconfident. Now, if all went well, he would be blindingly angry. He could still win this fight on the ground; that was why Carter had not pressed her advantage. She needed to continue exploiting his tactical errors to break his rhythm.

Ti'roth caught her legs in a scissors, tripping her backwards. About time, Carter thought, I was standing there for ten seconds. As she fell, she cooly buried one knife in his thigh and rolled out, both knives in hand. Ti'roth stood up drunkenly, rage in his eyes, but also caution.

She tossed his knife into the dirt at his feet. This was, after all, political theatre, blood-sport for the hearts of the Jaffa. The Jaffa in the crowd roared their approval. O'Niell winced.

He came at her again, cold fury in his movements. She switched knife hands and locked up his knife arm while stomping savagely on his foot. He dropped his knife and reversed the lock, forcing her to the ground. She moved forward ahead of the lock and got free. Behind her, she felt or heard him bend to pick up his knife and turn to charge. Without having to look for her target, she spun around fast to the left, low, and rammed the knife into his exposed symbiote pouch. She felt the knife grate against his spine. She remained kneeling as he fell aside.

O'Niell and the doctor rushed forward. The crowd was cheering. O'Niell looked Sam over for injuries. She nodded. He clapped her on the shoulder. Once the doctor had pronounced Ti'roth deceased and came to bandage Sam's arm, O'Niell stood up. For the first time, the cheering crowd registered.

"CAN IT!" he bit out. "This is a military base, not a freakin' circus. This is the first and last Jumble-whatever that's gonna be fought about this. Anyone doesn't like the outcome, from now on you can take it to your elected representatives like civilized people. As for you folks," he pointed to the Jaffa in the stockade, "any further attacks on this base or any of our people will be met with the full and considerable mayhem at our disposal."

"Jaffa," Teal'c added, "hear me. General Carter has respected our custom. Now we will respect her leadership. We must remember that we were not only slaves of false gods, but the very instrument of their oppression! Now that our gods are dead, do we live only for ourselves? Are we no better than pirates and brigands? We must work with the other peoples of this galaxy to build a future of freedom not only for ourselves, but for all! We must show this galaxy the honour and generosity that is in our hearts if we are ever to make restitution for the crimes we committed on behalf of the Goa'uld. This adjustment has not been easy for many of you. Many of the old customs, the customs of false gods, must be laid aside. We cannot be warriors only. We must learn new ways. But it is the honour in our warriors' hearts that must continue to inform our conduct. We will live in fellowship with each other and with all the other races who wish to live so with us, and we will do so as proud warriors, even if the tools in our hands are those of farmers and craftsmen. Shal kek nem ron." He growled the motto of the Jaffa resistance as a naked threat.

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

"Are you quite well, General Carter?" She was sitting on the fortress verandah, head in hand, elbow on knee.

"Oh, Teal'c. You just missed Gen- Jack."

"It was you that I desired to see. Are you troubled by your actions today, General Carter?"

"No. And yes. I know it was the best of a lot of bad options. But if so many Jaffa feel that strongly that they should have nothing to do with the peoples of this galaxy, does this change anything? I can't fight them all."

"You will not have to. Now that I know where and why this resentment has taken root, I can do much to counteract it, and to give you prior notice of issues. What matters now is that you have gained more than ever the respect of all Jaffa who saw you fight, and word will spread. When the captured crews are tried publicly on Dakara, aided by the records you provided, there will be no doubt of their treachery and the justice of your response. Do not doubt that you have won not only this combat, but the hearts and minds of many who were yet undecided."

"Thanks, Teal'c. Sometimes this Alliance seems so real, so right, and the next moment it seems like a pipe dream."

"Is it not our will and perception that makes it to be one or the other? Defeating the Goa'uld was also a 'pipe dream'. If we could persuade so many to join in that cause, can we not do this?"

Carter smiled. "Indeed."

"What of the Jaffa here? Have we chosen well?"

"Very well. We're a little loose on procedures for now, but that's a good thing. Everyone is learning to put up with everyone else. There was a little friction with the Tok'ra, but fortunately some of them actually have some trusted Jaffa still with them from the old days infiltrating the System Lords. I'm actually surprised how often the Tok'ra and Free Jaffa did manage to work well together. Now, the two sides are actually talking, discussing what happened from their own perspectives, and the Tok'ra are teaching Jaffa about Goa'uld technology. It's a start."

"Most impressive. Similar things are occurring wherever the Tok'ra offer their services, albeit more slowly. This collaboration must become a foundation of our Alliance. And what of the Hak'tyl? Some of the others will have had little experience of them."

"Well, Neith and Sha'kith seem to get along, in a competitive kind of way. As for the rest, they tend to get it once they've seen the Hak'tyl in action- or they get beaten into submission, whichever comes first. I thought I might have some trouble there too, but so far, none. Which reminds me, what is it with this whole oath of loyalty thing?"

"I asked for Jaffa willing to pledge themselves in service of the Alliance and the security of all races once oppressed by the Goa'uld. Did I not once take an oath to defend the people of Earth?"

"Okay, that I get, but not to me personally."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? I did not mention it, but I had hoped some might take this step of their own initiative."

"Some? As far as I can tell, they all have."

Teal'c laughed. "Indeed? And is this such a great burden, General Carter? You will find that the personal loyalty of the Jaffa who serve you will simplify many things and open many doors for you among Jaffa."

"Hear the words of Teal'c, General Carter," Sha'kith said from behind them. "Nothing so gains the respect of Jaffa as the willingness of other Jaffa to serve. Forgive my interruption. I bring word from Bra'tac."

"Yeah, sit down. What is it?"

"Bra'tac has travelled both to Ti'roth's homeworld in the former domain of Thoth and to the protected world of Iralija. It seems Ti'roth had been continuing to extract forced labour from the natives in one of the precious metal mines. Bra'tac has satisfied himself that only Ti'roth's immediate supporters were benefitting from or had any knowledge of this. They have been using the profits to bribe and cajole the Jaffa on their world to bow to their primacy. He has arrested all the perpetrators and mandated a new planetary council."

"This is good news. The revelation of their corruption will go far to discredit their movement," Teal'c observed. "I must prepare to return, so that I may oversee preparations for their trial."

"So soon?" Carter asked.

"If all goes well, we will see each other soon General Carter. Sha'kith will serve you well in my stead."

"I know he will. Thanks, Teal'c."

Teal'c bowed and left.

"General," said Sha'kith, "may I congratulate you on an impressive victory this morning."

"What? Oh, uh, thanks."

"I realize that such combats are not your way. Nevertheless, you were wise to accept the challenge, and your handling of Ti'roth during the duel demonstrated your cunning as a warrior for all to see. However, I believe that your technique can be improved."

"Oh?"

"Colonel Argyll suggested that Neith and I train the Tau'ri in Jaffa martial arts. We will practice on the day you designate as 'Thursday,' at 1900 hours."

"I would enjoy that. I haven't really hit a mat since before the SGC got started. I should brush up a little."

"Do Tau'ri martial arts involve striking mats? Is this a form of strength training?"

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l

Teal'c was ready to leave within the hour. He would send word when preparations had been made to hold the prisoners.

"It is good to see you settled into married life O'Niell," he said in parting. "At no time have I witnessed you so contented. Nor those around you."

"Well, thank- hey!"

l~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~l*

"Hey Neith. If that's the food, maybe you could tell me what to avoid?"

Daniel had come upon her sitting in the mess hall, patting her stomach.

"Oh, Daniel. Please, sit. No, the food is… edible. It is Arla."

"Arla?"

"Oh, that's what I call my prim'ta. She becomes agitated after I eat here."

"Oh. That could be the coffee. Some of the Tok'ra don't take caffeine all that well."

"I will stop drinking it immediately. Thank you."

"No problem. So, your symbiote… you named… her?"

"She might have told me her name. It just… came to me one day in kel no reem. As she has grown stronger, I can hear her singing to me, sometimes. None of my previous prim'ta ever showed the slightest interest in me, and the feeling was mutual. But now, it almost feels like carrying a child."

"That's amazing. If that's so, if communication between you increases as she gets older… the Hak'tyl could be a formative influence on an entire generation of Tok'ra. Combined with the memories of Jolinar and Ma'at, that's a potent combination."

"A good thought. I did not enjoy working with the Tok'ra at first. Too similar to the Goa'uld in too many ways. Now they treat us as equals, trust us, befriend us… ask us to carry their children. It is too much, too rapidly… and yet I do not want it to stop."

"May I ask why you volunteered?"

"The tretonin… it sustains us, but it is not the same. I do not wish to seem ungrateful for what you did for us, but life on the drug- it is difficult for a warrior, to be less than she can be. If we are Jaffa, let us be Jaffa, and put our nature to good use."

Neith excused herself a few minutes later, and Sam and Jack showed up.

Daniel took the opportunity to get the inside scoop on what he had missed while roving from world to world as an emissary for the new alliance. "So," he asked, "how did you persuade the IOA, the Pentagon and the SGC to fund a second Stargate Command?"

"Oh. Well, after everything the Phoenix ran into on the first deep-range perimeter sweep, the Aschen, the Goa'uld remnants, the Cloners, the Foothold aliens, the pirate fleets and all, and I brought you in to work on negotiating a permanent treaty, there was a… difference of opinion that split all those organizations down the middle. While you were on Dakara, people in the SGC and IOA began raising issues about aspects of the treaty. The proposed technological exchanges, the mutual defence pact-"

"The defence pact? Why?"

"Well, they argued that it was superfluous in a post-Goa'uld galaxy, that we should focus on developing our own programs and the technologies we had accumulated and not devote resources to every brushfire on planets trying to figure out what to do with themselves. They were basically saying that we focus on whoever might be of benefit to us and leave the rest to fend for themselves. Some people even argued that the Phoenix mission was proof that we couldn't afford to be on the front lines combating every threat. They accused me of committing to underwrite the development of the entire galaxy."

"That's lunacy. We never said anything of the sort. Or didn't they get the whole 'facilitator' thing?"

"Oh, some of them did, but they didn't like it. Too much like becoming a galactic United Nations.

"Well, I can guess at least a couple of names."

"Exactly. Generals O'Niell and Hammond were with me, and most of the experienced SGC officers. General Landry and most of the IOA…"

"Woolsey?"

"Surprisingly, once I laid out for him what I thought we should be doing, he ran with it. Anyway, I got a bit… worked up."

"Worked up?"

"She told them where to stick it," O'Niell said around a bite of apple. "Went through every instance where we benefitted by thinking of someone besides ourselves. All the allies and casual friends we'd made, and how they were all drifting away 'cause they looked to us after we kicked out those greasy-ass, overdressed… Anyway, we kinda led the whole rebellion thing, they were looking to us, and we had nothing. 'Use your momentum or lose it,' I believe was the phrase."

"Yeah. Anyway, once we got through to them- which took some doing- I proposed this as a way to provide maximum involvement at the least cost and most benefit to Earth, thus fulfilling all the various parts of the treaty and giving the Alliance a meaningful way to kick off. They jumped at it, especially once I pointed out that upwards of seven alien governments would essentially be underwriting our defence and intelligence capabilities through this network. Having a fully resourced base off-world apart from the Alpha and Beta sites is a sensible insurance policy."

"Way to go Sam. And Landry?"

Carter's face hardened. "We had a talk. About frames of reference and breadth of identification and fields of vision. And why certain people who can't see past their own eyebrows might be in the wrong assignment. I mean, the real question is where we see our interests end. Our family, our tribe, our state, nation, world, galaxy, universe? I was way out of line, militarily. Morally, I knew I was right, and it had to be said. To his credit, he realized it too."

O'Niell grunted. "Shoulda seen his face. He requested retirement the same week."

"What about enforcing the 'protected planets' clause? That must have taken some doing."

"Well, after I handed over that mining operation and the senior officers of the Odyssey to the Tai'rala-"

"And almost blew it up," O'Niell added.

"And said I would blow it up, it seems I inspired a great deal of trust on the part of planets that might otherwise view a treaty involving us, the Jaffa and the Tok'ra with suspicion. So after you and I persuaded most of them to consider the treaty, they sent a delegation to the IOA demanding in pretty strong terms that the treaty's monitoring force should be charged with monitoring the planets and cultures with protected status, that I command it, and that I have the authority to re-task any Alliance military unit for that purpose. This may have something to do with why I'm still in uniform after the Odyssey inquiry's recommendations. No to mention all the end-runs I did around the Pentagon and the IOA to get this treaty in place."

"Of course," Daniel observed, "if they drummed you out of the service, your friends out here would make sure you'd be doing the same thing whether the Pentagon and the IOA liked it or not, just with freer hands. Not to mention the fact that you developed most of their spaceflight technology."

Sam grinned. "Sometimes, it is good to be me," she agreed.